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class="styles_navItem__sgZ_O">The CEO Signal</a></nav><hr class="styles_bottomDivider___gcHD"/></div></div><main class="styles_main__2i7CI" data-testid="article-layout"><div class="styles_wrapper__ZPCeF styles_layoutControl__39Vlu"><div class="styles_template-semaform-2-column--standard__Y0Zl9 styles_columnDisplay__NEMWq styles_twoColumnDisplay__DS17H styles_layoutControl__3Ubpx"><div class="styles_firstColumn__dHfHz styles_layoutControl__3Ubpx"><h1 class="styles_title__QYh49 styles_template-semaform-2-column--standard__kRXO5 suppress-rss styles_layoutControl__7QzcA">UAE embraces reproductive medicine</h1><div class="styles_layoutControl__bF5y8 styles_authorBlock__MIrJF"><div class="styles_wrapper__qC1H_ styles_layoutControl__bF5y8"><div class="styles_content__svEG2 styles_layoutControl__bF5y8"><div class="styles_authorImageWrapper__4W9NX"><img alt="Kelsey Warner" loading="lazy" width="26" height="26" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" srcSet="https://img.semafor.com/948d515f3d65267f99b708365bf4380e01aee72d-305x305.png?auto=format&w=32&q=75 1x, https://img.semafor.com/948d515f3d65267f99b708365bf4380e01aee72d-305x305.png?auto=format&w=64&q=75 2x" src="https://img.semafor.com/948d515f3d65267f99b708365bf4380e01aee72d-305x305.png?auto=format&w=64&q=75"/></div><div class="styles_authorNameWrapper__BckRf styles_authorFlex__0FeC_"><span class="styles_authorName__nDYcq styles_layoutControl__bF5y8"><a href="/author/kelsey-warner">Kelsey Warner</a></span><div class="styles_authorTitle__5KgbT styles_layoutControl__bF5y8"></div></div></div></div><div class="styles_divider__xkDtO styles_layoutControl__zEouR styles_divider__XEwGE styles_layoutControl__bF5y8" aria-hidden="true"></div></div><div class="styles_dateTagsWrapper__3WK9A"><div class="styles_wrapper__UcdBc"><div class="styles_leftCol__KLk4l"><div data-testid="date" class="styles_date__CkxLh styles_date__Wcfhk styles_layoutControl__utq07">Updated <noscript>Nov 18, 2024, 10:13am EST</noscript>Nov 18, 2024, 10:13am EST</div><a class="styles_tag__tMXSX styles_tags__Bg9vU styles_layoutControl__utq07" href="/vertical/gulf">gulf</a></div><div class="styles_mobileShare__HF4l_"><div class="styles_container__EgE_f"><style data-emotion="css 1wfw2s5">.css-1wfw2s5{text-transform:uppercase;font-weight:bold;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;background:none;border:none;color:#243bb5;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;gap:4px;padding:10px;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:0.8125rem;line-height:120%;}.css-1wfw2s5:hover{cursor:pointer;}</style><button aria-label="Open share interface" class="css-1wfw2s5">Share<svg width="20" height="15" viewBox="0 0 20 15" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="width:1.25rem;height:0.9375rem;margin-bottom:0.1875rem"><path d="M15.922 5.55274C15.7589 5.10185 15.6294 4.69414 15.5335 4.32959C15.4472 3.95545 15.3944 3.62448 15.3752 3.33668L6.98582 11.7261L6.38144 11.1217L14.7708 2.7323C14.4734 2.70352 14.1377 2.64596 13.7635 2.55962C13.399 2.46368 12.9961 2.33897 12.5548 2.18548L13.0584 1.68183C14.3631 1.77776 15.5143 1.66264 16.512 1.33647L16.771 1.59549C16.4353 2.5836 16.3201 3.7348 16.4257 5.04909L15.922 5.55274Z" fill="currentColor"></path><path d="M11.5 3.7832H4.5V13.2832H13.5V7.7832" stroke="currentColor"></path></svg></button></div></div></div></div><div class="styles_figureContainer__QKVg_"><figure class="styles_figure__mP_zS"><img alt="Torkia Mahloul, co-founder and CEO at Abu Dhabi’s Ovasave, stands in front of her company’s “fertility bus.” " data-testid="ledeImage" loading="lazy" width="700" height="1051" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" class="styles_image__TlE9w" style="color:transparent" srcSet="https://img.semafor.com/57113b6e854f2b44737e5556a809757212903321-1065x1600.jpg?w=750&q=75&auto=format 1x, https://img.semafor.com/57113b6e854f2b44737e5556a809757212903321-1065x1600.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=format 2x" src="https://img.semafor.com/57113b6e854f2b44737e5556a809757212903321-1065x1600.jpg?w=1920&q=75&auto=format"/><figcaption class="styles_imageAttribution__FZw9F styles_imageAttr__LX92r">Torkia Mahloul, co-founder and CEO at Abu Dhabi’s Ovasave. 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data-testid="hidden-newsletter" aria-hidden="true" readOnly="" hidden="" name="newsletter" value="gulf"/><p class="styles_intro__VdMFa styles_layoutControl__fhEr0 styles_intro__uJGWQ"><b class="styles_bold__iCS55 styles_layoutControl__fhEr0">Sign up for Semafor Gulf:</b> Navigating the region’s capital, influence, and power. <a href="/newsletters/gulf/latest" aria-label="Read the latest gulf newsletter">Read it now</a>.</p><fieldset class="styles_fieldset__w7oGb"><label class="styles_hiddenLabel__AQc10" for="newsletter-sign-up-:R1dklfeuuujb5a:">Email address</label><input placeholder="Email address" id="newsletter-sign-up-:R1dklfeuuujb5a:" autoComplete="email" aria-invalid="false" type="email" class="styles_emailInput__1fIkY styles_articleNewsletterInput__PyzGU" required="" name="email" value=""/><button class="styles_signUpButton__yraUk styles_formButton__8UtxV styles_layoutControl__8Spys">Sign Up</button><div id="inline-newsletter-feedback" class="styles_feedback__1GX0T styles_right__NJMz0 undefined" aria-hidden="true"></div></fieldset></form></div><div class="styles_indexMenuWrapper__n5Np9"><div class="styles_indexMenu__t9Arm styles_template-semaform-2-column--standard__sDEMb"><p class="styles_indexMenuTitle__YLM69">In this article:</p><div><div class="styles_indexMenuBlock__yrUhY"><a aria-label="The Scene" href="#the-scene"><div class="style_title__n4CiQ styles_navTitleWrapper__MWwM9"><span class="styles_navTitleIcon__sSoCB"><img alt="Title icon" loading="lazy" width="20" height="16" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" src="https://static.semafor.com/_next/static/media/thenews@2x.f322bda2.png"/></span><h3 class="style_title__n4CiQ style_titleText__oyJ9f style_withTitleIcon__VPxdK styles_navTitle__3V6oh styles_layoutControl__3w6Dt">The Scene</h3></div></a></div><div class="styles_indexMenuBlock__yrUhY"><a aria-label="Kelsey’s view" href="#kelseys-view"><div class="style_title__n4CiQ styles_navTitleWrapper__MWwM9"><span class="styles_navTitleIcon__sSoCB"><img alt="Title icon" loading="lazy" width="20" height="16" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" src="https://static.semafor.com/_next/static/media/reporterstake@2x.a8a90336.png"/></span><h3 class="style_title__n4CiQ style_titleText__oyJ9f style_withTitleIcon__VPxdK styles_navTitle__3V6oh styles_layoutControl__3w6Dt">Kelsey’s view</h3></div></a></div><div class="styles_indexMenuBlock__yrUhY"><a aria-label="Know More" href="#know-more"><div class="style_title__n4CiQ styles_navTitleWrapper__MWwM9"><span class="styles_navTitleIcon__sSoCB"><img alt="Title icon" loading="lazy" width="20" height="16" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" src="https://static.semafor.com/_next/static/media/knowmore.67924317.svg"/></span><h3 class="style_title__n4CiQ style_titleText__oyJ9f style_withTitleIcon__VPxdK styles_navTitle__3V6oh styles_layoutControl__3w6Dt">Know More</h3></div></a></div><div class="styles_indexMenuBlock__yrUhY"><a aria-label="Step Back" href="#step-back"><div class="style_title__n4CiQ styles_navTitleWrapper__MWwM9"><span class="styles_navTitleIcon__sSoCB"><img alt="Title icon" loading="lazy" width="20" height="16" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" src="https://static.semafor.com/_next/static/media/stepback.a1c1938b.svg"/></span><h3 class="style_title__n4CiQ style_titleText__oyJ9f style_withTitleIcon__VPxdK styles_navTitle__3V6oh styles_layoutControl__3w6Dt">Step Back</h3></div></a></div><div class="styles_indexMenuBlock__yrUhY"><a aria-label="Notable" href="#notable"><div class="style_title__n4CiQ styles_navTitleWrapper__MWwM9"><span class="styles_navTitleIcon__sSoCB"><img alt="Title icon" loading="lazy" width="20" height="16" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" src="https://static.semafor.com/_next/static/media/furtherreading@2x.4cfb1221.png"/></span><h3 class="style_title__n4CiQ style_titleText__oyJ9f style_withTitleIcon__VPxdK styles_navTitle__3V6oh styles_layoutControl__3w6Dt">Notable</h3></div></a></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="styles_divider__XYw_Z styles_layoutControl__3Ubpx"></div></div></div><div class="styles_container__X90Lh article-content styles_layoutControl__NgJro"><div class="styles_contentWrapper__Y7ec7 styles_layoutControl__0Af8V styles_articleContent__hNTEo styles_layoutControl__39Vlu"><div><div class=""><div class="styles_divider__xkDtO styles_layoutControl__zEouR styles_divider__tPDrE styles_firstSection__J2y_N styles_twoColumnFirstContent__kSAAg styles_layoutControl__suauf" aria-hidden="true"></div><div class="style_title__n4CiQ"><span class="suppress-rss"><img alt="Title icon" loading="lazy" width="20" height="16" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" src="https://static.semafor.com/_next/static/media/thenews@2x.f322bda2.png"/></span><h3 id="the-scene" class="style_title__n4CiQ style_titleText__oyJ9f style_withTitleIcon__VPxdK style_isPrimary__amLBT styles_semaContentTitle__6jPuZ styles_template-semaform-1-column--standard__QgQFA styles_layoutControl__suauf">The Scene</h3></div><div class="styles_text__lvCVh styles_template-semaform-1-column--standard__QgQFA styles_layoutControl__suauf"><p>Parked at white-collar stomping grounds across the UAE like Dubai International Financial Center and Abu Dhabi Global Market, Ovasave’s big purple coach made little effort to blend in. In a country that until recently limited access to fertility medicine, Ovasave’s openness about reproductive offerings was precisely the point.</p><p>“There is a fertility gap in this region in terms of testing, access to education, and access to care,” Torkia Mahloul, co-founder and CEO of the reproductive telehealth platform, told Semafor.</p><p>Inside, the bus was often at capacity over the course of the company’s nine-day campaign, with women getting a finger prick test — <a href="https://www.ovasave.com/" class="styles_linkEmbed__SNmaX" rel="no-referrer">Ovasave</a> was offering free AMH testing, a common blood test of a woman’s likely egg reserves — or talking to a clinician. “I thought I was going to have to drag people off the streets [to participate], but I barely had time to grab a lunch break,” Mahloul said.</p><div class="styles_divider__xkDtO styles_layoutControl__zEouR styles_adDivider__aXGYy styles_topDivider__FcDpP styles_layoutControl__1EQHC" aria-hidden="true"></div><div data-testid="body-ad-post-message"><div data-testid="ad-body" class="styles_adMargin__bnZWC styles_layoutControl__2t_p4"><div data-testid="ad-label" class="styles_adLabel__UBLx0">AD</div><div data-testid="ad-container" class="styles_adContainer__X2SPy"><div class="styles_innerAdContainer__InIPz"><div data-testid="ad" id="ad-block-1" class="styles_ad__ECTuS" data-ad-density="true"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="styles_divider__xkDtO styles_layoutControl__zEouR styles_adDivider__aXGYy styles_bottomDivider__6uqU_ styles_layoutControl__1EQHC" aria-hidden="true"></div><p>The public interest in Ovasave’s campaign, and the conversations it started, would have been unthinkable here even five years ago, when most women had to travel abroad for fertility treatments. But more recently, the UAE has legalized surrogacy, IVF, and egg freezing for unmarried women, and Abu Dhabi’s health authority now recommends premarital genetic testing for Emirati couples to prepare for cases where assisted fertility may be needed.</p><p>The push is part of a broader, top-down effort to strengthen the domestic life sciences sector, improve quality-of-life to attract expats, and preserve the lineage of a country where foreigners outnumber nationals nearly nine to one.</p><p>Yet while the mood on the bus and across Ovasave’s campaign was typically buoyant, — with women chatting to one another as they took the AMH test — the response to their results was often anything but: More than once, some women choked back tears as the reality of a low egg count was made all too clear.</p><div class="styles_divider__xkDtO styles_layoutControl__zEouR styles_adDivider__aXGYy styles_topDivider__FcDpP styles_layoutControl__1EQHC" aria-hidden="true"></div><div data-testid="body-ad-post-message"><div data-testid="ad-body" class="styles_adMargin__bnZWC styles_layoutControl__2t_p4"><div data-testid="ad-label" class="styles_adLabel__UBLx0">AD</div><div data-testid="ad-container" class="styles_adContainer__X2SPy"><div class="styles_innerAdContainer__InIPz"><div data-testid="ad" id="ad-block-2" class="styles_ad__ECTuS" data-ad-density="true"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="styles_divider__xkDtO styles_layoutControl__zEouR styles_adDivider__aXGYy styles_bottomDivider__6uqU_ styles_layoutControl__1EQHC" aria-hidden="true"></div></div></div></div><div class="styles_indexMenu__ggYd1 styles_template-semaform-1-column--standard__fYHJi"><p class="styles_indexMenuTitle__YLM69">In this article:</p><div><div class="styles_indexMenuBlock__yrUhY"><a aria-label="The Scene" href="#the-scene"><div class="style_title__n4CiQ styles_navTitleWrapper__MWwM9"><span class="styles_navTitleIcon__sSoCB"><img alt="Title icon" loading="lazy" width="20" height="16" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" src="https://static.semafor.com/_next/static/media/thenews@2x.f322bda2.png"/></span><h3 class="style_title__n4CiQ style_titleText__oyJ9f style_withTitleIcon__VPxdK styles_navTitle__3V6oh styles_layoutControl__3w6Dt">The Scene</h3></div></a></div><div class="styles_indexMenuBlock__yrUhY"><a aria-label="Kelsey’s view" href="#kelseys-view"><div class="style_title__n4CiQ styles_navTitleWrapper__MWwM9"><span class="styles_navTitleIcon__sSoCB"><img alt="Title icon" loading="lazy" width="20" height="16" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" src="https://static.semafor.com/_next/static/media/reporterstake@2x.a8a90336.png"/></span><h3 class="style_title__n4CiQ style_titleText__oyJ9f style_withTitleIcon__VPxdK styles_navTitle__3V6oh styles_layoutControl__3w6Dt">Kelsey’s view</h3></div></a></div><div class="styles_indexMenuBlock__yrUhY"><a aria-label="Know More" href="#know-more"><div class="style_title__n4CiQ styles_navTitleWrapper__MWwM9"><span class="styles_navTitleIcon__sSoCB"><img alt="Title icon" loading="lazy" width="20" height="16" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" src="https://static.semafor.com/_next/static/media/knowmore.67924317.svg"/></span><h3 class="style_title__n4CiQ style_titleText__oyJ9f style_withTitleIcon__VPxdK styles_navTitle__3V6oh styles_layoutControl__3w6Dt">Know More</h3></div></a></div><div class="styles_indexMenuBlock__yrUhY"><a aria-label="Step Back" href="#step-back"><div class="style_title__n4CiQ styles_navTitleWrapper__MWwM9"><span class="styles_navTitleIcon__sSoCB"><img alt="Title icon" loading="lazy" width="20" height="16" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" src="https://static.semafor.com/_next/static/media/stepback.a1c1938b.svg"/></span><h3 class="style_title__n4CiQ style_titleText__oyJ9f style_withTitleIcon__VPxdK styles_navTitle__3V6oh styles_layoutControl__3w6Dt">Step Back</h3></div></a></div><div class="styles_indexMenuBlock__yrUhY"><a aria-label="Notable" href="#notable"><div class="style_title__n4CiQ styles_navTitleWrapper__MWwM9"><span class="styles_navTitleIcon__sSoCB"><img alt="Title icon" loading="lazy" width="20" height="16" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" src="https://static.semafor.com/_next/static/media/furtherreading@2x.4cfb1221.png"/></span><h3 class="style_title__n4CiQ style_titleText__oyJ9f style_withTitleIcon__VPxdK styles_navTitle__3V6oh styles_layoutControl__3w6Dt">Notable</h3></div></a></div></div></div></div><div><div class="styles_contentWrapper__Y7ec7 styles_layoutControl__0Af8V styles_articleContent__hNTEo styles_layoutControl__39Vlu"><div><div class=""><div class="styles_divider__xkDtO styles_layoutControl__zEouR styles_divider__tPDrE styles_layoutControl__suauf" aria-hidden="true"></div><div class="style_title__n4CiQ"><span class="suppress-rss"><img alt="Title icon" loading="lazy" width="20" height="16" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" src="https://static.semafor.com/_next/static/media/reporterstake@2x.a8a90336.png"/></span><h3 id="kelseys-view" class="style_title__n4CiQ style_titleText__oyJ9f style_withTitleIcon__VPxdK style_isPrimary__amLBT styles_semaContentTitle__6jPuZ styles_template-semaform-1-column--standard__QgQFA styles_layoutControl__suauf">Kelsey’s view</h3></div><div class="styles_text__lvCVh styles_template-semaform-1-column--standard__QgQFA styles_layoutControl__suauf"><p>The UAE’s push to liberalize access to fertility care and treatments comes from the very top: “<a href="https://wetheuae.ae/en" class="styles_linkEmbed__SNmaX" rel="no-referrer">We the UAE 2031</a>,” the economic strategy guiding policymaking and investment decisions in particular sets out plans to make the country a global leader in life sciences and health care quality.</p><p>In part, the moves aim to retain workers and attract tourism: The UAE’s efforts have already set it apart from neighboring countries — Saudi Arabia and Bahrain allow egg freezing, for example, but only for those who are married. And the changes to IVF and other fertility regulations will likely bring down the cost of treatments and help the UAE bring in medical visitors, James Clarke, a lawyer specializing in life sciences, <a href="https://www.lexismiddleeast.com/eJournal/2023-06-09_39" class="styles_linkEmbed__SNmaX" rel="no-referrer">wrote in a brief</a>.</p><p>Fertility treatments are proving to be a draw for foreigners, creating a nascent “IVF vacation” industry (pardon the oxymoron). A British midwife who has worked in Abu Dhabi for over a decade told me many UK patients were arriving for fertility treatments — willing to fork over the out-of-pocket expenses in exchange for no waiting times and a high quality of care. Dubai clinics more broadly have reported a <a href="https://www.arabianbusiness.com/industries/healthcare/dubai-clinics-see-2000-surge-in-women-freezing-their-eggs" class="styles_linkEmbed__SNmaX" rel="no-referrer">“2000% surge”</a> in demand year-on-year as more women opt into freezing their eggs.</p><div class="styles_divider__xkDtO styles_layoutControl__zEouR styles_adDivider__aXGYy styles_topDivider__FcDpP styles_layoutControl__1EQHC" aria-hidden="true"></div><div data-testid="body-ad-post-message"><div data-testid="ad-body" class="styles_adMargin__bnZWC styles_layoutControl__2t_p4"><div data-testid="ad-label" class="styles_adLabel__UBLx0">AD</div><div data-testid="ad-container" class="styles_adContainer__X2SPy"><div class="styles_innerAdContainer__InIPz"><div data-testid="ad" id="ad-block-3" class="styles_ad__ECTuS" data-ad-density="true"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="styles_divider__xkDtO styles_layoutControl__zEouR styles_adDivider__aXGYy styles_bottomDivider__6uqU_ styles_layoutControl__1EQHC" aria-hidden="true"></div><p>But the shift is also part of a broader economic diversification effort, one that has drawn in major domestic players: Last year, Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund Mubadala and state-backed AI firm G42 announced the creation of M42, under which are businesses including Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, women and children’s hospital Danat Al Emarat, genetic testing firm Biogenix Labs, and family planning clinician Healthplus Fertility. The overall goal is to build an international, integrated healthcare provider underpinned by AI technology.</p><p>The UAE’s reproductive healthcare policies focus more on expanding fertility options than access to abortions. But even on the latter, the country is more progressive than a handful of US states that are debating the personhood of embryos or have outright bans on pregnancy terminations: Abortions in the UAE are permitted for up to 120 days — just over 17 weeks — in cases of rape or incest, or if the life of the mother or fetus is at mortal risk, albeit only after a government-formed committee of at least three clinicians and a prosecutor has reviewed the case.</p></div></div></div></div></div><div><div class="styles_contentWrapper__Y7ec7 styles_layoutControl__0Af8V styles_articleContent__hNTEo styles_layoutControl__39Vlu"><div><div class=""><div class="styles_divider__xkDtO styles_layoutControl__zEouR styles_divider__tPDrE styles_layoutControl__suauf" aria-hidden="true"></div><div class="style_title__n4CiQ"><span class="suppress-rss"><img alt="Title icon" loading="lazy" width="20" height="16" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" src="https://static.semafor.com/_next/static/media/knowmore.67924317.svg"/></span><h3 id="know-more" class="style_title__n4CiQ style_titleText__oyJ9f style_withTitleIcon__VPxdK style_isPrimary__amLBT styles_semaContentTitle__6jPuZ styles_template-semaform-1-column--standard__QgQFA styles_layoutControl__suauf">Know More</h3></div><div class="styles_text__lvCVh styles_template-semaform-1-column--standard__QgQFA styles_layoutControl__suauf"><p>Already, the UAE’s push to become a leader in life sciences is bearing some fruit: HealthPlus Fertility and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi this year performed a cutting-edge procedure, preserving ovarian tissue of a 32-year-old Emirati patient with Hodgkin lymphoma. The technique of removal and preservation of ovarian tissue, which can later be re-implanted to restore fertility once cancer treatment is completed, also has applications for women going into early menopause who may be able to extend their fertility for longer — or someday avert menopause altogether, Jules McDonald, director of clinical operations, said.</p><p>Healthplus also does around 3,000 IVF cycles per year, McDonald said, and works with G42’s AI tools to identify genes causing infertility risk factors like premature ovarian insufficiency or early menopause.</p><p>Ovasave — which was founded two years ago and has raised $900,000 in pre-seed funding — is banking on the rapid increase in assisted reproduction in the UAE. It sells at-home fertility testing kits to women and connects them to clinicians and payment plans for treatments like egg freezing, which can cost up to $8,000 per cycle.</p><p>US pharmaceuticals giant Merck and Dubai Investments helped pay for and publicize its campaign, signaling a growing interest in the UAE’s fertility market, which Ovasave hopes to expand with more services, including hormone replacement therapy during menopause.</p></div></div></div></div></div><div><div class="styles_contentWrapper__Y7ec7 styles_layoutControl__0Af8V styles_articleContent__hNTEo styles_layoutControl__39Vlu"><div><div class=""><div class="styles_divider__xkDtO styles_layoutControl__zEouR styles_divider__tPDrE styles_layoutControl__suauf" aria-hidden="true"></div><div class="style_title__n4CiQ"><span class="suppress-rss"><img alt="Title icon" loading="lazy" width="20" height="16" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" src="https://static.semafor.com/_next/static/media/stepback.a1c1938b.svg"/></span><h3 id="step-back" class="style_title__n4CiQ style_titleText__oyJ9f style_withTitleIcon__VPxdK style_isPrimary__amLBT styles_semaContentTitle__6jPuZ styles_template-semaform-1-column--standard__QgQFA styles_layoutControl__suauf">Step Back</h3></div><div class="styles_text__lvCVh styles_template-semaform-1-column--standard__QgQFA styles_layoutControl__suauf"><p>Early detection of underlying conditions means a more proactive approach to fertility treatments and improves quality of care, but it’s also putting pressure on the UAE’s healthcare providers, Dr. Summia Zaher, CEO at Danat Al Emarat, told Semafor.</p><p>More women with polycystic ovary syndrome, a leading cause of infertility globally, and underlying conditions like diabetes and obesity are becoming pregnant, staying pregnant, and delivering because of medical advances. This science-assisted baby boom is leading to increasingly complicated and high-risk pregnancies, she said.</p><p>Cost also remains a hurdle to fertility medicine as UAE insurers typically do not cover most assisted reproductive treatments for non-locals, following the guidance of government authorities.</p></div></div></div></div></div><div><div class="styles_contentWrapper__Y7ec7 styles_layoutControl__0Af8V styles_articleContent__hNTEo styles_layoutControl__39Vlu"><div><div class=""><div class="styles_divider__xkDtO styles_layoutControl__zEouR styles_divider__tPDrE styles_layoutControl__suauf" aria-hidden="true"></div><div class="style_title__n4CiQ"><span class="suppress-rss"><img alt="Title icon" loading="lazy" width="20" height="16" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" src="https://static.semafor.com/_next/static/media/furtherreading@2x.4cfb1221.png"/></span><h3 id="notable" class="style_title__n4CiQ style_titleText__oyJ9f style_withTitleIcon__VPxdK style_isPrimary__amLBT styles_semaContentTitle__6jPuZ styles_template-semaform-1-column--standard__QgQFA styles_layoutControl__suauf">Notable</h3></div><div class="styles_text__lvCVh styles_template-semaform-1-column--standard__QgQFA styles_lastSemaform____cgb styles_layoutControl__suauf"><p>M42 CEO Hasan Jasem Al Nowais tells <strong class="styles_strong__CyLpx">Bloomberg</strong> that the UAE health conglomerate is evaluating around <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-11-11/abu-dhabi-eyes-more-deals-to-build-ai-powered-global-health-firm?sref=RHwwd448&embedded-checkout=true&leadSource=uverify%20wall" class="styles_linkEmbed__SNmaX" rel="no-referrer">50 deals a month</a> as it looks to make acquisitions globally.</p></div></div></div></div></div><div class="styles_divider__xkDtO styles_layoutControl__zEouR styles_adDivider__fnRML styles_topDivider__ALQHJ styles_layoutControl__2t_p4" aria-hidden="true"></div><div data-testid="ad-feed-one"><div data-testid="ad-body" 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Center and Abu Dhabi Global Market, Ovasave’s big purple coach made little effort to blend in. In a country that until recently limited access to fertility medicine, Ovasave’s openness about reproductive offerings was precisely the point.\",\"_key\":\"e87e4a6b64470\"}],\"_type\":\"block\",\"style\":\"normal\",\"_key\":\"9107865de698\",\"markDefs\":[]},{\"_key\":\"0dbaeec81ef6\",\"markDefs\":[],\"children\":[{\"_key\":\"a0540db268f50\",\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[],\"text\":\"“There is a fertility gap in this region in terms of testing, access to education, and access to care,” Torkia Mahloul, co-founder and CEO of the reproductive telehealth platform, told Semafor.\"}],\"_type\":\"block\",\"style\":\"normal\"},{\"children\":[{\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[],\"text\":\"Inside, the bus was often at capacity over the course of the company’s nine-day campaign, with women getting a finger prick test — \",\"_key\":\"67b626a525ef0\"},{\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[\"94282d568f20\"],\"text\":\"Ovasave\",\"_key\":\"9ce892cf12c5\"},{\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[],\"text\":\" was offering free AMH testing, a common blood test of a woman’s likely egg reserves — or talking to a clinician. “I thought I was going to have to drag people off the streets [to participate], but I barely had time to grab a lunch break,” Mahloul said.\",\"_key\":\"f285ef210a77\"}],\"_type\":\"block\",\"style\":\"normal\",\"_key\":\"c31378dc2b70\",\"markDefs\":[{\"_type\":\"link\",\"href\":\"https://www.ovasave.com/\",\"_key\":\"94282d568f20\"}]},{\"_key\":\"ad-block-1\",\"_type\":\"ad\",\"authorSlug\":\"/author/kelsey-warner\",\"vertical\":[\"gulf\"],\"count\":1,\"tragedy\":null,\"schemaVersion\":\"1\"},{\"children\":[{\"_key\":\"f3518d7726eb0\",\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[],\"text\":\"The public interest in Ovasave’s campaign, and the conversations it started, would have been unthinkable here even five years ago, when most women had to travel abroad for fertility treatments. But more recently, the UAE has legalized surrogacy, IVF, and egg freezing for unmarried women, and Abu Dhabi’s health authority now recommends premarital genetic testing for Emirati couples to prepare for cases where assisted fertility may be needed.\"}],\"_type\":\"block\",\"style\":\"normal\",\"_key\":\"35037fd96291\",\"markDefs\":[]},{\"_key\":\"c3b6379c83de\",\"markDefs\":[],\"children\":[{\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[],\"text\":\"The push is part of a broader, top-down effort to strengthen the domestic life sciences sector, improve quality-of-life to attract expats, and preserve the lineage of a country where foreigners outnumber nationals nearly nine to one.\",\"_key\":\"7eb2081cecfa0\"}],\"_type\":\"block\",\"style\":\"normal\"},{\"children\":[{\"text\":\"Yet while the mood on the bus and across Ovasave’s campaign was typically buoyant, — with women chatting to one another as they took the AMH test — the response to their results was often anything but: More than once, some women choked back tears as the reality of a low egg count was made all too clear.\",\"_key\":\"c5e3f1f145ed0\",\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[]}],\"_type\":\"block\",\"style\":\"normal\",\"_key\":\"b5943add08da\",\"markDefs\":[]},{\"_key\":\"ad-block-2\",\"_type\":\"ad\",\"authorSlug\":\"/author/kelsey-warner\",\"vertical\":[\"gulf\"],\"count\":2,\"tragedy\":null,\"schemaVersion\":\"1\"}],\"_type\":\"scoop\",\"_key\":\"a33c54de7392\",\"title\":\"The Scene\"},{\"schemaVersion\":1,\"author\":{\"_type\":\"author\",\"_createdAt\":\"2024-09-08T17:58:51Z\",\"email\":\"kelseyw@semafor.com\",\"shortName\":\"Kelsey\",\"publishedTimestamp\":\"2024-09-08T18:08:44+00:00\",\"documentVersion\":\"1.0.2\",\"authorSlug\":\"/author/kelsey-warner\",\"name\":\"Kelsey Warner\",\"_id\":\"498c2935-c00f-4d33-bc6b-32e32e7d2119\",\"schemaVersion\":2,\"headshot\":\"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/ifn0l6bs/production/948d515f3d65267f99b708365bf4380e01aee72d-305x305.png\",\"updatedTimestamp\":\"2024-09-08T14:08:44-04:00\",\"authorTitle\":\"Reporter\",\"_updatedAt\":\"2024-09-08T18:08:45Z\",\"_rev\":\"3M51J4kfTOsGFohcARentW\",\"newsletterAudience\":\"gulf\"},\"_type\":\"reportersTake\",\"_key\":\"9faa62b82f5e\",\"thescoop\":[{\"_key\":\"98ab7ffb48ea\",\"markDefs\":[{\"_type\":\"link\",\"href\":\"https://wetheuae.ae/en\",\"_key\":\"d893cdea724c\"}],\"children\":[{\"text\":\"The UAE’s push to liberalize access to fertility care and treatments comes from the very top: “\",\"_key\":\"a67b894138850\",\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[]},{\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[\"d893cdea724c\"],\"text\":\"We the UAE 2031\",\"_key\":\"a67b894138851\"},{\"text\":\",” the economic strategy guiding policymaking and investment decisions in particular sets out plans to make the country a global leader in life sciences and health care quality.\",\"_key\":\"a67b894138852\",\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[]}],\"_type\":\"block\",\"style\":\"normal\"},{\"children\":[{\"_key\":\"eb639d4355dc0\",\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[],\"text\":\"In part, the moves aim to retain workers and attract tourism: The UAE’s efforts have already set it apart from neighboring countries — Saudi Arabia and Bahrain allow egg freezing, for example, but only for those who are married. And the changes to IVF and other fertility regulations will likely bring down the cost of treatments and help the UAE bring in medical visitors, James Clarke, a lawyer specializing in life sciences, \"},{\"_key\":\"eb639d4355dc1\",\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[\"810a528ff1d6\"],\"text\":\"wrote in a brief\"},{\"marks\":[],\"text\":\".\",\"_key\":\"eb639d4355dc2\",\"_type\":\"span\"}],\"_type\":\"block\",\"style\":\"normal\",\"_key\":\"8fe52b950710\",\"markDefs\":[{\"_type\":\"link\",\"href\":\"https://www.lexismiddleeast.com/eJournal/2023-06-09_39\",\"_key\":\"810a528ff1d6\"}]},{\"style\":\"normal\",\"_key\":\"a63ee941ea3d\",\"markDefs\":[{\"href\":\"https://www.arabianbusiness.com/industries/healthcare/dubai-clinics-see-2000-surge-in-women-freezing-their-eggs\",\"_key\":\"14ed1d9eb998\",\"_type\":\"link\"}],\"children\":[{\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[],\"text\":\"Fertility treatments are proving to be a draw for foreigners, creating a nascent “IVF vacation” industry (pardon the oxymoron). A British midwife who has worked in Abu Dhabi for over a decade told me many UK patients were arriving for fertility treatments — willing to fork over the out-of-pocket expenses in exchange for no waiting times and a high quality of care. Dubai clinics more broadly have reported a \",\"_key\":\"40208b7518900\"},{\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[\"14ed1d9eb998\"],\"text\":\"“2000% surge”\",\"_key\":\"40208b7518901\"},{\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[],\"text\":\" in demand year-on-year as more women opt into freezing their eggs.\",\"_key\":\"40208b7518902\"}],\"_type\":\"block\"},{\"_key\":\"ad-block-3\",\"_type\":\"ad\",\"authorSlug\":\"/author/kelsey-warner\",\"vertical\":[\"gulf\"],\"count\":3,\"tragedy\":null,\"schemaVersion\":\"1\"},{\"markDefs\":[],\"children\":[{\"_key\":\"cc5a41e618d80\",\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[],\"text\":\"But the shift is also part of a broader economic diversification effort, one that has drawn in major domestic players: Last year, Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund Mubadala and state-backed AI firm G42 announced the creation of M42, under which are businesses including Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, women and children’s hospital Danat Al Emarat, genetic testing firm Biogenix Labs, and family planning clinician Healthplus Fertility. The overall goal is to build an international, integrated healthcare provider underpinned by AI technology.\"}],\"_type\":\"block\",\"style\":\"normal\",\"_key\":\"ed48ece6741a\"},{\"style\":\"normal\",\"_key\":\"6c040191f790\",\"markDefs\":[],\"children\":[{\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[],\"text\":\"The UAE’s reproductive healthcare policies focus more on expanding fertility options than access to abortions. But even on the latter, the country is more progressive than a handful of US states that are debating the personhood of embryos or have outright bans on pregnancy terminations: Abortions in the UAE are permitted for up to 120 days — just over 17 weeks — in cases of rape or incest, or if the life of the mother or fetus is at mortal risk, albeit only after a government-formed committee of at least three clinicians and a prosecutor has reviewed the case.\",\"_key\":\"c4c03b482cfa0\"}],\"_type\":\"block\"}]},{\"_type\":\"knowMore\",\"_key\":\"dfa27ab62b7d\",\"schemaVersion\":1,\"knowMore\":[{\"_key\":\"7116f48cb941\",\"markDefs\":[],\"children\":[{\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[],\"text\":\"Already, the UAE’s push to become a leader in life sciences is bearing some fruit: HealthPlus Fertility and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi this year performed a cutting-edge procedure, preserving ovarian tissue of a 32-year-old Emirati patient with Hodgkin lymphoma. The technique of removal and preservation of ovarian tissue, which can later be re-implanted to restore fertility once cancer treatment is completed, also has applications for women going into early menopause who may be able to extend their fertility for longer — or someday avert menopause altogether, Jules McDonald, director of clinical operations, said.\",\"_key\":\"7d08f9f599dd0\"}],\"_type\":\"block\",\"style\":\"normal\"},{\"markDefs\":[],\"children\":[{\"text\":\"Healthplus also does around 3,000 IVF cycles per year, McDonald said, and works with G42’s AI tools to identify genes causing infertility risk factors like premature ovarian insufficiency or early menopause.\",\"_key\":\"f67d52d984380\",\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[]}],\"_type\":\"block\",\"style\":\"normal\",\"_key\":\"ff9a469ef3a1\"},{\"style\":\"normal\",\"_key\":\"026da63dd114\",\"markDefs\":[],\"children\":[{\"_key\":\"c6d83526da660\",\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[],\"text\":\"Ovasave — which was founded two years ago and has raised $900,000 in pre-seed funding — is banking on the rapid increase in assisted reproduction in the UAE. It sells at-home fertility testing kits to women and connects them to clinicians and payment plans for treatments like egg freezing, which can cost up to $8,000 per cycle.\"}],\"_type\":\"block\"},{\"_type\":\"block\",\"style\":\"normal\",\"_key\":\"d310056738e3\",\"markDefs\":[],\"children\":[{\"text\":\"US pharmaceuticals giant Merck and Dubai Investments helped pay for and publicize its campaign, signaling a growing interest in the UAE’s fertility market, which Ovasave hopes to expand with more services, including hormone replacement therapy during menopause.\",\"_key\":\"308ff5f8d5300\",\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[]}]}]},{\"schemaVersion\":1,\"_type\":\"stepBack\",\"_key\":\"f51c57e0b8d2\",\"stepBack\":[{\"markDefs\":[],\"children\":[{\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[],\"text\":\"Early detection of underlying conditions means a more proactive approach to fertility treatments and improves quality of care, but it’s also putting pressure on the UAE’s healthcare providers, Dr. Summia Zaher, CEO at Danat Al Emarat, told Semafor.\",\"_key\":\"16a4eec5e8a00\"}],\"_type\":\"block\",\"style\":\"normal\",\"_key\":\"7b2c3976a95d\"},{\"markDefs\":[],\"children\":[{\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[],\"text\":\"More women with polycystic ovary syndrome, a leading cause of infertility globally, and underlying conditions like diabetes and obesity are becoming pregnant, staying pregnant, and delivering because of medical advances. This science-assisted baby boom is leading to increasingly complicated and high-risk pregnancies, she said.\",\"_key\":\"a6f28915095a0\"}],\"_type\":\"block\",\"style\":\"normal\",\"_key\":\"685ef122b1a7\"},{\"_key\":\"5455429b7445\",\"markDefs\":[],\"children\":[{\"_key\":\"793d033505e60\",\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[],\"text\":\"Cost also remains a hurdle to fertility medicine as UAE insurers typically do not cover most assisted reproductive treatments for non-locals, following the guidance of government authorities.\"}],\"_type\":\"block\",\"style\":\"normal\"}]},{\"_type\":\"furtherReading\",\"_key\":\"4009f8869432\",\"furtherReading\":[{\"markDefs\":[{\"_type\":\"link\",\"href\":\"https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-11-11/abu-dhabi-eyes-more-deals-to-build-ai-powered-global-health-firm?sref=RHwwd448\u0026embedded-checkout=true\u0026leadSource=uverify%20wall\",\"_key\":\"6d976d71793d\"}],\"children\":[{\"_key\":\"29c9acc7db380\",\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[],\"text\":\"M42 CEO Hasan Jasem Al Nowais tells \"},{\"marks\":[\"strong\"],\"text\":\"Bloomberg\",\"_key\":\"29c9acc7db381\",\"_type\":\"span\"},{\"_key\":\"29c9acc7db382\",\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[],\"text\":\" that the UAE health conglomerate is evaluating around \"},{\"_key\":\"29c9acc7db383\",\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[\"6d976d71793d\"],\"text\":\"50 deals a month\"},{\"_key\":\"29c9acc7db384\",\"_type\":\"span\",\"marks\":[],\"text\":\" as it looks to make acquisitions globally.\"}],\"_type\":\"block\",\"style\":\"normal\",\"_key\":\"903d15987b71\"}],\"schemaVersion\":1}],\"authors\":[{\"headshot\":\"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/ifn0l6bs/production/948d515f3d65267f99b708365bf4380e01aee72d-305x305.png\",\"name\":\"Kelsey Warner\",\"authorSlug\":\"/author/kelsey-warner\"}],\"_createdAt\":\"2024-11-18T12:05:21Z\",\"tragedy\":null,\"intro\":{\"schemaVersion\":1,\"_type\":\"intro\",\"body\":null},\"location\":null,\"verticalDisplay\":[{\"label\":\"Gulf\",\"_key\":\"gulf\",\"value\":\"gulf\"}],\"sematexts\":null,\"signal\":null,\"headline\":\"UAE embraces reproductive medicine\",\"seoDescription\":\"UAE embraces reproductive medicine\",\"publishedTimestamp\":\"2024-11-18T12:59:12Z\",\"ledePhoto\":{\"attribution\":\"Torkia Mahloul, co-founder and CEO at Abu Dhabi’s Ovasave. 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